Green fingered mumsnetters, help!

[AGreatUsername]

Hi!

So I need to do something to my front garden. But I have no vision and am definitely not Alan Tichmarsh, having killed a steady stream of aloe and cacti indoors.

The earthed area is sloped, we can’t lower it as it is below foundations, and we can raise it due to the little front wall (in front of which is an 8ft drop to street level). What I really need is some ideas as to whether just cover it with pretty bedding plants, go for sea grass and sedum, gravel, something else?!

Any ideas or inspiration appreciated! (The plants in the photo are all gone, some to pots some to plant heaven)

I'd cover with white gravel to make it pop a bit more, with some nice rose bushes or flowers. Maybe a bench at the top too.

Are you looking for all year round greenery, spring/summer flowers or both?

Ideally something year round that requires little to no maintenance beyond watering. I’m leaning toward gravel too pineapplecat, I guess I’d just weed sheet, with the plants I want in holes then gravel around them?

There’s a bigger presscrete area out of shot, I think I’m going to get a hanging chair for there as it faces east so is lovely out there for a morning coffee.

hello OP
im vaguely green fingered and have learnt over the years,
first which way does the front face,, how much sun or not it gets will determine the types of shrubs you plant. also how much rain will the site get of its own accord, ie, which direction does most of your rainfall hit the front of the house. I see its on a slope so naturally free draining.
once you have sorted these two points, if you can do a soil test as well it will save you loads of money in not planting the wrong plants which will not thrive.
see what is growing in your neighbours plots that will give you a clue too.
then just go on google and ask for plants that need the conditions you have got, or if you have a good garden centre nearby they will help you.
exciting enjoy

ah see you have said you face east,

Thank you tootired. It faces dead east, so is in full sun from sunrise to about 11am. It gets full rain too. The soil is naturally clay but that bed has a fair bit of topsoil through it after years of people trying to tame it! Neighbours plots have very little, some kind of large spiky fronded thing a few doors up and some small trees next door. People mostly stick to roses due to the soil but they always end up looking a bit leggy I think, and the flowers last such a short time

I'd plant two rows of lavender across the whole area and let them all merge into each other. Cover the ground in between with mulch until they get established.
They'll all merge into each other and will need trimming once a year in August or September to take the dead flower heads off and keep them compact.
Bees love them and they can cope with a free draining plot which I suspect that slope will be.

Lavender won't survive in a clay soil, I'm afraid

Hydrangea grow well in clay and need very little attention other than a fairly brutal prune at end of year.